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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 6585197" data-attributes="member: 996"><p>Accurate is useful. Meaningless isn't. GNS is a theory about how people approach games, it's damn near meaningless when it comes to analyzing what a game system actually /is/. </p><p></p><p>If you want to take a simulationist approach to a game, you treat it's rules as 'laws of physics' - no matter what kind of weird, Terry-Pratchet-esque world that gives you. You can inflict that on any game. Similarly, you can let narrative trump rules all you want, no matter how few or how many, how good or how bad said rules may be - or vice versa. </p><p></p><p>You already know which game you like, so the only 'usefulness' is in rationalizing that preference. If I contrast 4e and 2e, I might conclude that you're seriously into settings rather than systems, since that's a stand-out point in 2e's favor. </p><p></p><p>But, I also know you started with 2e, and that's a major consideration, too. </p><p></p><p>GNS? Not so much. It'll tell me the kind of campaign to expect if you were running. Personally, I don't see what's so great or terrible or incompatible about any of the three letters. S? Yes, RPG rules are de-facto laws of physics, and you can take that pretty far and possibly get an immersive (or quixotic) experience out of it. That can be fun. N? Yes, when you play an RPG, the result is a narrative, you can focus on shaping that more or less as DM or player, if you like - or not. Taking narrative into account, even letting it be the prime mover in the campaign can be fun. G? Well, it /is/ a game, duh. Playing games is fun, emphasizing the qualities that make a good game can be fun.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tony Vargas, post: 6585197, member: 996"] Accurate is useful. Meaningless isn't. GNS is a theory about how people approach games, it's damn near meaningless when it comes to analyzing what a game system actually /is/. If you want to take a simulationist approach to a game, you treat it's rules as 'laws of physics' - no matter what kind of weird, Terry-Pratchet-esque world that gives you. You can inflict that on any game. Similarly, you can let narrative trump rules all you want, no matter how few or how many, how good or how bad said rules may be - or vice versa. You already know which game you like, so the only 'usefulness' is in rationalizing that preference. If I contrast 4e and 2e, I might conclude that you're seriously into settings rather than systems, since that's a stand-out point in 2e's favor. But, I also know you started with 2e, and that's a major consideration, too. GNS? Not so much. It'll tell me the kind of campaign to expect if you were running. Personally, I don't see what's so great or terrible or incompatible about any of the three letters. S? Yes, RPG rules are de-facto laws of physics, and you can take that pretty far and possibly get an immersive (or quixotic) experience out of it. That can be fun. N? Yes, when you play an RPG, the result is a narrative, you can focus on shaping that more or less as DM or player, if you like - or not. Taking narrative into account, even letting it be the prime mover in the campaign can be fun. G? Well, it /is/ a game, duh. Playing games is fun, emphasizing the qualities that make a good game can be fun. [/QUOTE]
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